INTRODUCTION
The term “appropriation” has become quite familiar in the art world over the past century. Some artists cut-and-paste, some take images from other artists and alter or use fractions of them in their own work, and some just borrow ideas from other artists. Who owns the image? How much of an original idea does the artist really own? Does one artist have the right to say to another, “You may not use my work as inspiration for your own work?” With the trend of appropriation catching on, many artists, their practices, and the ideals of art have come into question. In this WebQuest, you will help decide the fate of Sherrie Levine, a contemporary artist known for appropriating other artists' works, and perhaps, of appropriation itself!
Appropriation: The borrowing or taking of an image, text, music, or style from the present or past and representing it in a new context and as an original idea.
TASK
Sherrie Levine is a contemporary artist who has made a name for herself by using forms of appropriation. She has created her own works by taking images of famous photographs and works of art and placing them into new contexts. When talking about her work in an interview, she says, “I am interested in making a work that has as much aura as its reference. For me the tension between the reference and the new work doesn't really exist unless the new work has an aristic presence of its own. Otherwise, it just becomes a copy, which is not that interesting.”
A group of artists have approached your class to hold a trial defending their creative rights. These artists' works have been appropriated by Sherrie Levine and as a result, they feel their rights as the original creators have been infringed upon. Your class will hold a trial, with all students participating in deciding the fate of Sherrie Levine.
PROCEDURE
Your art teacher will serve as judge and preside over the hearing of the case, as an impartial referee, and ensure that proper procedures are followed:
- Randomly select five members of the class to serve as jurors. As an alternative, the jury members could consist of students from another class, other teachers, administrators, visiting artists, or parents. Choose one member of the class to serve as the bailiff, who will be responsible for keeping order in the courtroom and swearing in all witnesses.
- Create a set of cards that equal the number of students in the class. Write the following names on five cards: Sherrie Levine, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Marcel Duchamp, and Mile Bidlo (one name on each card). Students who receive these cards will act as each persona to answer questions if called to the stand. Then divide the remaining number of cards by two, marking half with the letter 'P' and the other half with the letter 'D.' The students who receive a 'P' card will act as prosecutors representing the angered artists and students who receive a 'D' card will defend Sherrie Levine. Randomly distribute the cards to every student in the class (except for the jurors and bailiff).
- Once you receive a role, meet with the other students in your group of either prosecuting lawyers, defense lawyers, or artists. Complete the worksheet for your respective roles (lawyers or artists) and discuss your findings with your group members. Construct a unified view on the issue of appropriation that your group will argue in court.
- The Resources page will lead you to Web sites that will help you complete your research to be prepared for the trial. You may also use local resources to prepare for the trial.
- Each team of lawyers will prepare a set of questions for the witnesses based on the research. Remember that opinion questions are not appropriate questions for the courtroom (For example: “How do you feel/think. . .?”) A written closing statement should be prepared for the close of the trial. This statement will be your final, convincing argument to the jury.
CONCLUSION
The trial concludes by having the jury deliver their verdict to the class. Following the reading of the verdit, have the jury discuss how they reached their verdict and which arguments they felt were most compelling and why. As a class, discuss how opinions on copyright and appropriation in art changed, or became more informed, as a result of the trial. Each student will then write a one-page paper discussing what they learned from the trial experience. Part of this paper could be a comparison of the student's stance about Levine's “innocence” or “guilt” at the beginning and the end of the trial. A Copyright Quiz is also provided to test students' knowledge of copyright law and related issues. In sum, the follow-up discussion, students' written reflections, worksheets, and responses on the quiz can be used to assess the outcomes of this WebQuest and its effectiveness as a learning resource.
